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so that out of this school may proceed a number of faithful and true ministers, that by their labours and study thy holy name may be better had in reverence among all people; and that learning and virtue may so appear in us, that we may serve thee as our Master, fear thee as our God, and love thee as our Father; to whom, with Jesus Christ thy Son our only Saviour, and the Holy Ghost the Comforter, be praise for ever. Amen.”

Then shall they go to their lectures, and so continue till eleven o'clock, at which time, after the rehearsal of the ten commmandents, by a scholar appointed thereto in order through them all, they shall sing a psalm in English metre, in order through them as they stand, or part of one, if it be too long; and so every one go to dinner, after the master or usher hath read openly in English a common prayer drawn out of the psalms, gathered into the form of prayers by Peter Martyr, or some such like; that so the scholars may learn to gather the effect of the psalms into prayers, and use them to their comfort.

Likewise in the evening, before they depart from the school, they shall sing or say a psalm or two in English prose all together, if they be not too long, at the discretion of the master or usher; which being done, with the Lord's prayer and the articles of our faith said openly, the master or usher shall pray openly as followeth :

"O Lord, our God and only Saviour, which hast ordained all creatures to serve and obey us for our health and comfort, grant us, we pray thee, such plenty of thy grace, that we may never abuse them, nor be found unthankful unto thee: turn and subdue our stubborn and froward minds to the obedience of thy holy will. Save and defend, we humbly beseech thee, our realm and commonwealth; relieve the oppressed and comfort the heavy hearted. Protect our king and the honourable council; grant unto him and them, and all that be in authority under them, such godly wisdom, fear, love, and reverence of thy godly majesty, that they may maintain peace with justice, and punish sin. Set forward and advance pure religion; suppress idolatry and superstition; and of thy goodness make us, O Lord, thy poor servants, profitable members of this commonwealth. Bless our studies so in learning and good nurture, that we may be profitable to many others; and that by our travail and labour thy glory may shine and appear to the comfort of thy chosen

people, through Christ our Lord, thy Son; to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, three Persons and one God, be praise and

thanksgiving throughout all ages.

Amen."

Chap. VIII. p. 199-204.

VII. Catechising.

On Saturdays and holyday eves the usher shall exercise his younger sort in learning their short catechism in English, in the common book; and the same days to all sorts the master shall read Mr Nowell's' or Calvin's Catechism, taught in Calvin's Institutions, willing the elder sort both to learn it by heart, and examine them briefly the next day after, when they come to school again, before they go to other things, how they can say it, and shall commend them that have done well, and encourage others to do the like.

Chap. x. p. 215-6.

VIII. Nature and end of their Studies.

But above all things both the master and the usher shall continually move their scholars to godliness, both in manners and conditions; and prosper their studies, that they may serve God and the commonwealth diligently, as becometh Christians and faithful members of his church; teaching and noting unto them such wise and godly sentences out of the scriptures, and other authors, as may stir them up more earnestly thereto, and will them to learn them by heart, and oft to think upon them.

IX. Commemoration of the Founder.

p. 218-9.

Every year once, on that day in which it shall please God to take James Pilkington, now bishop of Durham, out of this wretched life to a better with himself, the scholars shall have liberty to play, so that they exercise themselves in making verses, orations, or declamations severally in praising God, that moved him and others to prepare this school for the bringing up of youth, and profit of his church.

Likewise the schoolmaster shall yearly, on the same day openly in the school, or rather the next holiday in the church, [See Nowell. Catechismus, p. xxix. Oxon. 1835. ED.]

672 EXTRACTS FROM THE STATUTES OF RIVINGTON SCHOOL.

whethersoever the governours shall appoint him, make some exhortation to praise God for his fatherly care and providence towards his people, which stirred some to provide some means for posterity to be brought up in learning and the fear of God: and shall further declare the comfortable hope of the last resurrection both of body and soul to everlasting life, and of the blessed state in the mean time of those that die in the Lord and the faith of Jesus Christ; that so the hearers may learn both how to live, and bestow their goods on like godly uses, and not be afraid to die, nor of the pope's purgatory, when God calleth them; but desire with St Paul to be delivered out of this mortal, sinful, and most wretched body, and to reign with Christ and his holy angels for ever, at the right hand of God the Father, through the merits and bloodshed of Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour: to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be praise both now and ever. Amen.

p. 220-2.

TRACTATUS JACOBI PILKINGTON,

DUM ERAT STUDENS CANTABRIGIE.

(From the Parker MSS. of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, Vol. cv. 15.)

Deus cujus vult miseretur, quem vult indurat.

HUMANA temeritas cum audit Deum ipsam esse caritatem et bonitatem, si quicquam de illius secretis judiciis in reprobos perceperit dictum, veluti quod indurat, excæcat, rejicit, indignum esse clamitat de tanta majestate talia cogitare sic tamen hac cæcitate nobis placemus, ut ab ea divelli nequeamus, et nihil de Deo pronunciari velimus, quod non cum ratione justitiæ nostræ et humano judicio per omnia conveniat. Apud homines condemnare quenquam indicta causa et nullo commisso flagitio iniquum esse fateor: sed apud Deum, cujus voluntas est æquissima regula, et qui nihil quicquam cuiquam debet, sed pro arbitrio suo justissime quod vult facit, hæc juste fieri ante facta secula ratione summa contendo.

Sumus apud illum tanquam lutum in manu figuli: at nunquam dicit figmentum figulo, Cur me finxisti sic? cum aliud vas in honorem et aliud in contumeliam effinxerit. Sic tu, cum non potes capere cur ille reprobos nonnullos vult esse, noli quod ita fiat calumniari, sed illum qui id fecit venerare: noli figulum in operibus suis culpare, sed justam illius voluntatem in secreto suo consilio cole, admirare, obstupesce. Audi apostolum intonantem, et nullam aliam causam reddentem nisi quia voluerit: Cujus vult miseretur, inquit, quem vult indurat. Ecce eandem causam utriusque, nempe misericordiæ et indurationis, nempe Dei voluntatem: hic conquiesce; hoc uno perturbatam conscientiam pacare potes.

Ne audias furores eorum qui dicant, Tyrannicum hoc est, quando quod libet licet, et quibus stat pro ratione libido: Deus est enim, cujus voluntas aberrare non potest. Nec illis credas, qui ob prævisa merita tua hæc fieri contendant. Hæc namque [MS. concilio. En.]

[PILKINGTON.]

43

omnia ab humano nascuntur judicio, et iis qui nihil credant quod ratione humana non percipiunt. Crede apostolo cum dicit, Numquid injustitia apud Deum? voluntati ejus quis resistit? Et, Annon habet figulus potestatem ex eadem massa facere aliud vas in honorem, et aliud in contumeliam? Noli quærere causam antecedentem aliquam, quæ voluntatem Dei ad quicquam faciendum commoveat; sed illam intellige et crede priorem esse omnibus, et quæ ceteras omnes ad agendum concitet.

:

Audi Augustinum contra Manichæos disputantem, qui causam aliquam ponebant priorem voluntate divina, et quæ illam ad1 agendum impelleret, his verbis: "Causas voluntatis Dei," inquit, "quærunt, cum voluntas ejus causa sit omnium quæ sunt si namque causam aliquam habet voluntas Dei, est aliquid quod præcedat voluntatem Dei; quod dicere nefas est. Compescat se ergo humana temeritas, et id quod non est non quærat, ne id quod est non inveniat. Voluntas Dei causa est cœli et terræ, et ideo major est voluntas Dei quam cœlum et terra"." Hæc Augustinus. Si ergo nulla causa, tum propter opera prævisa nec miseretur nec indurat, sed solum quia vult, attestante apostolo: Non ex operibus, sed ex vocante, dictum est, Major serviet minori: et priusquam nati essent, et boni aut etiam mali quicquam fecissent, dixit, Jacob dilexi et Esau odio habui. Hic conquiescendum; hic non disputandum, sed clamandum, O altitudo divitiarum, &c. Hæc de voluntate.

Misertus est nostri Deus ante jacta fundamenta mundi, eripiens nos e massa perditionis in qua jacebamus submersi, et adoptavit nos in filios per Christum suum, in quo et nos elegit ante tempora, ut essemus sancti et irreprehensibiles coram eo : miseretur etiam et quotidie tanquam pater dispensans nobis sua dona pro sua prudentia, prout novit ea nobis fore usui. Nihil novum tamen donat; sed quod pro beneplacito suo nobis daturum se decrevit in Filio ante secula, id nobis distribuit per Spiritum in tempora. Novit infirmitatem nostram et temeritatem, quam inepti sumus ad dispensandum illius dona et conservandum: reservat ergo sibi thesauros suos; et cum ad petendum accedimus, effundit in nos quam opulente.

[1 Ad illam ad MS. ED.]

[ Deest non in MS. ED.] [De Genesi contra Manich. Lib. 1. c. 4. Tom. 1. p. 1049. Paris. 1836. ED.]

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